Metal foil



Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILFORD J'. HAWKINS, 01 CLAIBORNE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MA- CHINE & FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METAL FOIL No Drawing.

This invention relates to metal foil primarily designed to be used in place of tin foil.

Tin foil is in common use for wrapping articles. It can be rolled to a thinness of .001 without breakage, but it lacks sufiicient malleability to enable it to be rolled any thinner than that.

It has now been discovered that lead containing from to of 1% of magnesium possesses suflicient malleability to enable the metal to be rolled into metal foil of a thinness of less than .0005, because the malleability of both metals used exceeds that of tin, or that of the lead-tin alloy commonly used in making tin foil. In practice, the new alloy is rolled to a thinness of .00045".

In making the'new foil, the lead is first melted, and thereafter the magnesium is introduced into the molten lead by immersion. If the quantity of magnesium so introduced is all, or less than all. the lead will absorb, all of it will be absorbed. If, however, too much magnesium is introduced, approximately fi of 1% will be absorbed and the excess will be wasted.

The new foil may be used alone as wrapping material, or as a facing for paper wrapping material, as tin foil may be used.

By the use of the new alloy in the form of metal foil of extreme thinness, a material saving in weight is eifected; and since the metals used are cheaper than tin, a further mate'rial saving in cost is effected. Furthermore, the addition of the silver-bright magnesium to the lead makes the resultant alloy Application filed. May 16,

WILFORD J. HAWKINS.

brighter in color than the lead-tin alloy commonly used in making tin foil; and the new foil of less than .0005" thinness is as strong as the old tin foil, which is more than twice as thick.

What is claimed is:

1. Metal foil composed of lead containing from to of 1% of magnesium and rolled to a thinness of approximately .0005". 

